There has been a lot of speculation and rumor about these little Antarctic crustaceans that are the source of krill oil supplements. Whole Foods pulled krill oil from its shelves some months ago, citing “sustainability issues” and concerns about there being enough krill for onshore animals to feed upon. Certain environmental groups have criticized the decision by the prestigious Marine Stewardship Council to certify as sustainable one of the companies that harvest krill in the Antarctic.

The concerns of the environmentalists were largely based on surveys of the krill biomass by large boats in offshore waters, and those results were projected onto the coastal waters.

Now the first multi-year study, conducted by Stony Brook University of Stony Brook, New York, and the Southwest Fisheries Science Center confirms that nearshore waters had “significantly higher krill biomass density than offshore waters.” The scientists conducted their research using small boats closer to shore, giving a more accurate picture of the fishery. They also found that the nearshore waters had less interannual variation than offshore waters. The findings were published in the July 2010 issue of the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences.

Dr. Joseph Warren, assistant professor in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University said, “Nearshore krill biomass is generally most accessible and attractive to land-breeding predators as well as to human fishers competing for this valuable resource.”

So the bottom line here is that despite assertions to the contrary, there appears to be plenty of krill to go around for a long time to come.